The cannon is stationary and has both right/left up/down movement like a real world cannon and there is a small indicator for wind speed and direction.
Only the wind speed is notated. The other controls have lines on them like a ruler but no number and there is no notation of the distance of the target.
There is also an unnumbered setting for how much force the pet will be propelled at.
Hitting the bullseye target is a matter of guess work instead of a real targeting scenario and one would have the same results if there were no lines on the controls or notation of wind speed.
If there were numbers involved along with the wind speed one could do the math and hit the rings in the target.
In order to be fair shouldn't they at least give you the distance of the target?
With that and after some practice the player can assign numbers (degrees) to the ruler looking lines on the cannon settings can't they?
At least in another game I played that hard a target to hit at least they gave the player a fair chance by providing a compass and a sextant but KI's cannon? No. This mini game interface is all show and no targeting.
Until then it's only guess work and you get three tries before that round is over and guess what, it takes exactly three tries to know what adjustments to make in order to hit the target but once you know that there is no fourth try allowed. Once you know you are cut off and that is sadistic and the player should be allowed at least 4 attempts instead of 3. As is it's blatantly rigged.
They give you no info to target with and the round is over as soon as you can get an accurate line on the target. You may not hit the center but at least you can actually hit the target but by that time the round is over by design.
This cannon game is a matter of ballistic trajectory but there is no info provided on assessing that.
This is not inter-dimensional quantum physics, this is Boy Scout age stuff but KI makes it a totally dumbed down activity. This game could be VERY educational in a variety of ways such as basic inclination, degrees, math, azimuth, zenith and geometry.
It's not rocket science so why does KI make it to be pure guess work?
The right/left/up/down/propellant/wind speed settings are useless and are just eye candy on the screen. KI might as well replace them with a simple click button since since these "gauges" serve no purpose as gauges.
The very nature and design of such gauges in targeting have numbers on them such as degrees, azimuth and zenith that require input and adjustment but KI has it set up like swinging a stick at a pinata.
Give the player the info to figure it out, an actual challenge with the only unknown variable being wind speed that may throw the player off target. Actually make a fair mini game out of it compared this blindfolded pin the tail on the donkey situation.
There is absolutely nothing educational about WIZARD101 but this canon game has great potential but it may be that the people at KI don't know anything about ballistic trajectory which really is, given the proper data, a 4th grade math equation.
For that matter, even our BB guns and slingshots had sights on them but this cannon game has nothing.
The target is the same elevation as the cannon so at the bare minimum KI should at least give the player the distance of the target that way the player can creatively assign numbers to the targeting gauges.
On a separate issue, I disagree with KI's use of using a pet as a projectile when the pet could get the identical same benefits as it does now but not as a bullet but as the cannon operator. Just change the image of the projectile to a cannon ball and place the pet behind the cannon as if the pet is doing all this as a first person shooter game format. There is absolutely no justifiable reason in this world to come up with a cruelty scenario of using a living creature, a pet, as a projectile. Pet abuse in my opinion is really scraping the bottom of the barrel as a source of entertainment. With all the options available there is just no need for such a thing and I think this reflects badly on KI's mentality towards this mini game.
Ponder the effects that this function may have on the treatment of animals and pets in the real world? Food for thought since why contribute to an already bad situation of pet abuse in the real world?
Wow, you seriously have too much time on your hands to compose such a large rant over a minor non-issue(s). To my knowledge KI has never made claims of being an educational endeavor, it is an entertainment one so get over it and realize the amount of computations required for players to come up with their own system to judge the controls by, not discrete mathematics but abstract interaction process which has more to do with real world outcomes. So far as animal cruelty, are you serious? Have you forgotten the level of suspended belief that the game is predicated upon? It is merely a training exercise, the pets are not with shown any negative effects or injuries. I'm sure KI considered such concerns in creation and development before implementation, they are in a business and would not create something to cost or hurt their business.
Some tips: 1. Use EACH GAME as a way to remember settings. Yes, the first couple times you play you might be way off, but the effects are the same from game to game so once you know, it's the same every time.
2. First shot - Set power almost all the way up and leave it there. - Lower the cannon to the last big line at the bottom (no matter how far away the target is). This low and fast shot should at least hit the target every time unless there is a building in front of the target. - Aim for the center, then adjust for wind as follows 20 - 4 clicks (use ARROW keys only!) opposite direction to wind 15 - 20 3 clicks 10 - 15 2 clicks 5 - 10 1 click You might shave a click or so off if the target is very close, or add another if the target is very far.
If the wind is angled, add 1 click up or down (opposite).
If you can at least hit the target somewhere on the first shot, you can get three yellows or at least two yellows and a red most times.
4. Second shot (first real shot). wind is same as first so adjust only on the basis of where the first shot hit. 8 to 10 clicks cover the target on most distances. E.g. if you hit the top of the black on the first shot, click down 4 times or 5 times on a very far target, maybe only 3 times on a very near one. Same thing from side to side. Use the ARROW keys only to adjust so you can count. Re-shoot and hit gold!
5. Later shots. Effects of wind are almost always side to side only. Add only a click up or down at most for angular wind.
6. Distance and clicks. Sometimes the cannon seems to move more on one click than another. You can hear it or see it. You can go back to aiming on center and reclick, or just get used to it visually.
7. Obstructed targets. I have very rarely needed to aim high and dial back power to get a shot to arc up and over the obstruction. In fact, only one time out of hundreds of games. Most times, just fire away and you'll miss to one side or another.
One thing to remeber is that the game remebers you also. (in my opinion.) When i started playing the cannon game I good reather quickly like most do but every once in a while i would miss a few here or there i can still get a least 1 bulls-eye every game and most games 2 but any x's or blues and they count points against me and red's don't count anything. I one game first shot (practice) was a miss right off the target second was bulls-eye third was a blue with wind change and fourth was a second bulls-eye not complaining but i got 2 points for my pet. the next game i got 2 bulls-eye's and a red and got 3 points. Maybe I play it a lot and get a lot of bulls-eye's now (one game I did get all 4) and i dont mind the challege too much but it would be nice to now it this is correct. It is still the best and cheapest way to get up some of your pets stats but if the other games are based one set numbers weither you play them a lot or not it would be nice to know if any do ajust the scores based on player skill?
